The Maid of SkerBlackmore, R. D. (Richard Doddridge)
General
The Maid of Sker
Blackmore, R. D. (Richard Doddridge)
Foundlings -- Fiction; Romance fiction; Wales -- Fiction
"There is a wreck ashore," I answered, looking with some disgust at him,
as a man who has been wrecked himself must do at a cruel wrecker; "but
the ebb most likely will draw her off and drift her into the
quicksands."
"Great God! speak not like that, my boy. The worst you are of
everything. If those two children came ashore, there must have been
something better." And he peered at the children as if to search for any
gold upon them.
"Neither child came from that wreck. One is my granddaughter Bunny.
Bunny, show yourself to black Evan." But the child shrank closer behind
me. "Evan black, you know her well. And the other is a little thing I
picked up on the coast last night."
"Ha, ha! you pick up children where you put them, I suppose. But take
them indoors and be done with them. Cubs to come with a wreck ashore, a
noble wreck ashore, I say! But come you down again, fisherman Dyo." He
used the word "fisherman" with a peculiar stress, and a glance of
suspicion at my pockets. "Come you down again, Dyo dear. I shall want
you to help me against those thieves from Kenfig. Bring my other gun
from the clock-case, and tell the boys to run down with their
bando-sticks. I'll warrant we'll clear the shore between us; and then,
good Dyo, honest Dyo, you shall have some--you shall, you dog.
Fair-play, Dyo; fair share and share, though every stick is mine of
right. Ah, Dyo, Dyo, you cunning sheep's head, you love a keg of rum,
you dog."
This I knew to be true enough, but only within the bounds of both
honesty and sobriety. But so much talking had made his brain, in its
present condition, go round again; and while I was thinking how far it
might be safe and right to come into his views, his loaded gun began
wagging about in a manner so highly dangerous, that for the sake of the
two poor children I was obliged to get out of his way, and, looking back
from a safer distance, there I beheld him flourishing with his arms on
the top of a sandhill, and waving his hat on the top of his gun, for
his sons to come over the warren.
Moxy Thomas was very kind; she never could help being so, and therefore
never got any thanks. She stripped the two wet children at once, and put
them in bed together to keep each other warm. But first she had them
snugly simmering in a milk-pan of hot water with a little milk for the
sake of their skins. Bunny was heavy and sleepy therein, and did nothing
but yawn and stretch out her arms. Bardie, on the other hand, was ready
to boil over with delight and liveliness, flashing about like a little
dab-chick.
"Old Davy," she said, as I came to see her at her own invitation, and
she sate quite over Bunny, "'Ill 'a have a ickle dop?" With the water up
to her neck, she put one mite of a transparent finger to my grizzled
mouth, and popped a large drop in, and laughed, until I could have
worshipped her.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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